If millénaire de Vigeois

Vigeois

Planted, according to tradition, by Saint Yrieix and his mother Pelagia at the founding of the abbey of Vigeois around 572, this yew is said to be one of the oldest trees in France, with some 1,400 years of existence. Its silhouette is striking: a very short trunk that divides at once into a multitude of tormented branches, whose shapes walkers liken to the tentacles of an octopus or the roots of a mandrake. The tree once had sixteen main limbs; some were cut off in the 1970s to protect the roof of the neighbouring school. A male tree, it releases impressive clouds of golden pollen every spring. As early as 1881, a notarial deed concerning what would become the town hall of Vigeois required that the tree be preserved and forbade any cutting without permission — proof of the inhabitants' long-standing attachment to this living heritage. Officially recognised as a remarkable tree in the 1990s by the botanist Robert Bourdu, the yew now suffers from the tightening grip of the town: school playground, boules pitch and gas mains hem in its roots, and drought weakens some of its lower branches. It remains nonetheless an exceptional witness to the early Middle Ages in the Limousin, blending religious legend with the history of the commune.

Getting there : In the heart of the small town of Vigeois, a few metres from the former abbey; free pedestrian access all year round.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound